Padres’ rotation hole puts Mason Miller at the center of a franchise-defining call

The San Diego Padres have an opportunity to make a huge decision when it comes to their recent acquisition Mason Miller.

Miller, a relief pitcher, was acquired at the trade deadline in 2025, and is under team control for the next four seasons. San Diego was clearly excited to trade for him, and was willing to give up a huge piece, in their top overall prospect Leo De Vries, to bring Miller into the building.

Padres’ rotation hole makes Mason Miller the focus of a franchise-shaping decision

Now, the Padres have a big decision to make regarding Miller's future. Does he replace Robert Suarez as the team's long-term closer and contend for the title of best reliever in baseball? Or will San Diego move Miller back into the starting rotation, where he was brought up through the minor leagues?

The Athletics pivoted quickly, moving Miller to the bullpen and eventually the closer job after just a handful of starts at the big league level. However, San Diego has a history of successfully converting top relievers into frontline starters. Just look at Michael King and Seth Lugo.

Both King and Lugo came to San Diego as elite relievers who wanted to start, but had little experience in a starting role. Both became highly-sought after free agent starting pitchers by the time they were done with the Friars.

Mason Miller could be the next great Padres' starter who converted from a relief role. If he does, the best part is that San Diego would control him for the next four years, which is crucial for their currently thin rotation depth.

However, there are still questions, particularly regarding Miller's electric velocity. Would he be able to maintain that velocity if he moved to the rotation? Would he be as effective averaging 97 MPH on his fastball as a starter, as he is averaging 100 MPH as a reliever? Can he perfect the rest of his arsenal of pitches so that he wouldn't have to rely so much on his flaming fastball?

Those questions will need to be answered before the Friars can commit to moving Miller out of the pen and into the rotation. If he does stay in the pen, it's not a knock on Miller. He'll have a real opportunity to vie for the title of best closer in baseball as early as next year.